


I Would Drive on to the End With You

by theemdash



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Banter, F/M, Feelings, Pre-Season/Series 01, Rain, Understanding, first time aftermath
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-31
Updated: 2019-05-31
Packaged: 2020-03-30 19:47:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19034431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theemdash/pseuds/theemdash
Summary: Diego's not so good at settling down, but Eudora is wise to his bullshit. Set sometime between Diego leaving the Umbrella Academy and before he got kicked out of the police academy.





	I Would Drive on to the End With You

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to momebie for reading this over to check for typos. (And for generally encouraging me to continue writing in Diego's head.)

The car lights washed over him, illuminating the oil-streaked puddle in the middle of the road. Diego hadn’t been walking in the rain long, was only four blocks from Eudora’s apartment and about ten blocks from the shelter where he thought he might find an open bed. If there wasn’t a bunk, he could usually flirt his way to an extra blanket and a corner out of the rain—not that he ever told his girlfriend about that trick. In fact he’d never mentioned to Eudora where he was living, since he wasn’t really living anywhere. Who knew police academies didn’t provide housing?

He waited for the car to rush by, braced himself for the water to spray up and over the curb, but the car slowed down beside him, finally earning his full attention. Eudora’s silver sedan stopped, window down. What the hell was she doing here? She’d been asleep when he slipped out.

“Diego.” Eudora leaned over from the wheel, a jacket thrown over the red tank top she’d worn to bed. Its loose neck gaped in the middle, giving him a clear shot of the cleavage he'd been kissing earlier that night. “It’s raining.”

Diego tilted his head back, raindrops striking his cheeks and lips. “Thanks for the weather report, Dora.”

She made a noise somewhere between a growl and a laugh as she turned her head away and checked her rearview mirror. “You shouldn’t be walking in the rain at two a.m.”

He spread his arms, checking up and down the street, totally vacant aside from the streetlamps. “Seemed like a nice night for a walk.” He put his hand on the roof and ducked his head into the window, intending to continue his blasé commentary, but pulled a double take when he realized Eudora hadn’t bothered putting on pants. The red shorts were a good look on her, and he wouldn’t mind taking them off her again some time, but he didn’t understand the rush, why she’d leave without getting dressed to run after him.

“Thought you’d be tired after what we did.”

Her voice pulled his attention back to her face, to her hair pulled into a messy ponytail, to the faint outline of a hickey low on her neck, to all the evidence of what they’d done. She’d fallen asleep shortly after they’d cleaned up, turned toward him with her hands tucked under her chin, but Diego didn’t know how to cuddle, didn’t know how to settle, so he’d gotten up as quietly as he could, gotten dressed, and stepped into the rain.

“You looked peaceful. Figured I’d give you a break.” His eyes flicked down again, _really_ distracted by that beautiful expanse of thigh, and then back up when she cleared her throat.

“Break had. Let me give you a ride back.” She moved her purse off the seat, dropping it between her thigh and the emergency break. “I invited you to stay the night, Diego.”

Even though the sex had been implied, that was a clearer message than what “sleepover” might actually entail: falling asleep in a comfortable bed on fresh smelling sheets and waking up next to someone Diego cared about more than he thought he could ever admit. He wanted that, wanted to stay with her, but more than that, he hadn’t wanted to be told to leave. 

Maybe Eudora understood that. Maybe that was why she was out at two a.m. in her underwear, hauling his stupid ass back to bed.

“You sure?” He didn’t mean for his need to bleed into the question, for those two words to reveal every insecurity he had about being worthy of lying next to Eudora all night, but he had a feeling some of his desperation must have shown through from the way she smiled at him, her look gentle and open, even softer than it’d been when they’d been in bed.

She reached across to open the door. “Get in, hero.”

He smiled to himself, loving every time she called him that. By the time he was stepping into the car, he had his bravado back in place, easier to slip on than a domino mask. “Okay, but if I stay the night you have to make breakfast in the morning.” He looked at her before he pulled the door shut, giving her one last chance to confess this was all a big mistake. “That a deal breaker?”

“If you promise to do the dishes, I think we’ve struck an agreement.”

He didn’t know how to respond—the words would have caught in his throat anyway—so he cupped her cheek and kissed her. He didn’t think it was much of a thank you, but even though he hadn’t said anything, he suspected Eudora knew what he meant.


End file.
